No Good Deed
"No Good Deed" is a musical number from the hit Broadway musical Wicked. It is widely regarded as the most powerful piece of the musical; and the most emotional. Sung by Elphaba Thropp, the so-called "Wicked Witch of the West", it is a song springing from Elphaba's rage over her continuously thwarted efforts to do good and her inner turmoil about her intention for doing so. It explores the ideas of goodness and wickedness, which is central to the musical's theme. In the song she lists what she perceives as her failures at goodness, including anger with herself over Fiyero, her lover who is being concurrently tortured by the Wizard's guards over her whereabouts, the death of her sister, and the capture and dehumanisation of her teacher, Dr. Dillamond. It occurs while Elphaba believes that Glinda has used her sister's death to lure her into being captured by the Wizard's Guard. She is distraught at being villified by the Wizard's propaganda and the hatred of the citizens of Oz. She concedes, "Let all Oz be agreed I'm wicked through and through since I could not succeed, Fiyero, saving you. I promise no good deed will I attempt to do again. The song begins with Elphaba screaming "Fiyero" but instead of being an unpitched scream, she actually sings a high note that is a minor second above the tonal center of the song. (A minor second is an interval basically the same as a minor ninth, only the two notes are right next to each other instead of an octave removed.) This creates the effect of a scream, as the note is very high and dissonant, but it is much more controlled and musical than an actual scream. [1] It then moves into a chant of magical words making it the most chilling and foreboding of all the musical's numbers. Schwartz is quoted as likening No Good Deed to an opera aria. He says, "It’s just written for a different voice type, and it’s not written to be sung unamplified. So those are the two big differences. I mean, “No Good Deed” is written for a belter—I suppose a mezzo soprano could sing it. But the orchestra is so busy and obstreperous throughout that you have to have an amplified voice to carry over it, if you want to hear the words at all. But for instance there’s a moment in “No Good Deed” where she belts a big note and then there’s a place where it suddenly gets pianissimo — she has to hit the note very loud and hold it, and then get very soft — and that’s absolutely like something one would write in classical singing or an opera aria. Or the moment where she does “Nessa, Doctor Dillamond,” and then sort of shouts out “Fiyero” while the orchestra is sawing away at one of the motifs. I think it’s structured very much like an aria but it’s built to get a great big hand at the end with a big belted last note. So it’s still very much musical theatre. Originally it was sung by Tony Award Winning actress Idina Menzel, who is known for, as Ben Brantley of the New York Times describes it, her "iron strong larynx". Stephen Schwartz composed it specifically to showcase Menzel's belting talent, in addition to giving her a second-act solo song. Idina Menzel, herself, has been quoted as saying that this song was her favourite to sing in the show as it 'reminded her of her Bat Mitzvah.' Lyrics Fiyero! Eleka nahmen nahmen Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen Eleka nahmen nahmen Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen Let his flesh not be torn Let his blood leave no stain When they beat him Let him feel no pain Let his bones never break And however they try To destroy him Let him never die: Let him never die: Eleka nahmen nahmen Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen Eleka nahmen nahmen Ah tum ah tum eleka: eleka: What good is this chanting? I don't even know what I'm reading! I don't even know what trick I ought to try Fiyero, where are you? Already dead, or bleeding? One more disaster I can add to my Generous supply? No good deed goes unpunished No act of charity goes unresented No good deed goes unpunished That's my new creed My road of good intentions Led where such roads always lead No good deed Goes unpunished! Nessa: Doctor Dillamond: Fiyero: Fiyero!! One question haunts and hurts Too much, too much to mention: Was I really seeking good Or just seeking attention? Is that all good deeds are When looked at with an ice-cold eye? If that's all good deeds are Maybe that's the reason why No good deed goes unpunished All helpful urges should be circumvented No good deed goes unpunished Sure, I meant well - Well, look at what well-meant did: All right, enough - so be it So be it, then: Let all Oz be agreed I'm wicked through and through Since I can not succeed Fiyero, saving you I promise no good deed Will I attempt to do again Ever again No good deed Will I do again!thumb|300px|right|No Good Deed Category:Songs of Wicked